Tag Archives: Garnet Coleman

You say “succeed”, I say “secede”

Posted on June 1, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Bleah. Lawmakers in the Texas House sent the U.S. Congress a message on Saturday to mind its own business. But just so no one gets the wrong message, House Concurrent Resolution 50 now says that Texas is still proud to … Continue reading →

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Budget heads to the Governor

Posted on May 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, thanks in large part to the stimulus package and its infusion of funds that prevented the need to dip into the Rainy Day Fund, the budget process was relatively uncontroversial. Yesterday, it was passed by the House, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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CHIP dies again

Posted on May 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

sigh Gov. Rick Perry today indicated that he opposes a plan to expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, putting in jeopardy of a veto a measure that has been a top priority this session for children’s advocates. But the CHIP … Continue reading →

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Another win for CHIP

Posted on May 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news on the CHIP front. The Texas House today gave final approval to a measure that would expand the Children’s Heath Insurance Program by allowing certain families who earn more than the current income limit to pay to join … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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Updates on some criminal justice bills

Posted on May 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As Grits notes, this is the time of the session in which bills die because there’s no longer the time for them to make it through the process. Fortunately, as he writes in that post, many of the bills related … Continue reading →

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Altering Houston term limits

Posted on May 4, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to stir things up a bit. The Texas House today is expected to pass a bill that could lead to the extension of Houston’s term limits. The bill, authored by state reps. Garnet Coleman and Carol Alvarado, would … Continue reading →

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CHIP and Medicaid advance

Posted on April 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for CHIP and Medicaid. The House Committee on Human Services approved a measure that would expand eligibility for the Children’s Health Insurance Program, a move the bill’s author, Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston, said would add 80,000 children to … Continue reading →

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Busy day yesterday

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There were a lot of bills passed yesterday by one chamber or the other. My mailbox is full of press releases touting them. I’m going to go ahead and print them beneath the fold as a roundup. A few bills … Continue reading →

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More Tier I schools

Posted on April 25, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The Texas House on Friday voted unanimously on a plan making it easier for the University of Houston to gain elite status by gradually becoming a national “tier-one” research institution. Houston, the country’s fourth largest city, deserves a … Continue reading →

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Extending Medicaid

Posted on April 16, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Texas likes to bill itself as a business-friendly state. But there’s one thing that a lot of businesses want that the Republican leadership has been unwilling to entertain, and that’s to make Medicaid renewals an annual event instead of every … Continue reading →

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Vasquez responds to Coleman and Hernandez

Posted on April 15, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I received the following statement from the office of Harris County Tax Assessor Leo Vasquez, which was sent to KHOU and Fox 26 in response to the charges made by State Reps. Garnet Coleman and Ana Hernandez about the voter … Continue reading →

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Dems versus Vasquez

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like we’re not ready to make nice with the Harris County Tax Assessor’s office over their handling of voter registration last year. Any honeymoon between Democrats and the new Harris County voter registrar ended suddenly today. Democratic state Reps. … Continue reading →

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Coleman pushing for CHIP restoration

Posted on March 20, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Way back in those crazy, innocent days right after Joe Straus was elected Speaker, some of us had the silly idea that this might portend better legislation making it through the House. You know, serious policy stuff that actually benefits … Continue reading →

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Parker versus Perry

Posted on March 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I like this. Houston City Controller Annise Parker sharply criticized Texas Governor Rick Perry today for rejecting $555 million in federal stimulus money that would have funded unemployment benefits for out-of-work Texans. “In January alone, more than 65,000 Houstonians were … Continue reading →

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Lege versus Gov on unemployment funds

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Showdown time. The House committee charged with recommending how to use the federal stimulus money does not see eye to eye with Gov. Rick Perry on the $555 million for unemployment insurance. In a 5 to 1 vote, the committee … Continue reading →

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So how’s the state of our state?

Posted on January 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Well, you can read the text of Governor Rick Perry’s State of the State speech and see for yourself what it was all about. Frankly, I think Matt got it in one: This was a campaign speech. I mean, stem … Continue reading →

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